| Byzantine Navy |
Article Index for Byzantine |
Website Links For Byzantine |
Information AboutByzantine Navy |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BYZANTINE NAVY | |
| byzantine navybyzantine navy | |
| byzantine military | |
| navies by country | |
|
This article discusses the Naval Forces of the Byzantine Empire . Also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire is a modern histiographical term to describe the Roman Empire in later years. Although the Eastern Empire was a direct continuation of the Roman empire begun by Augustus , it developed its own unique culture and identity that in hindsight, appears to be Roman only in name. As such Byzantine is used to separate the historical periods between the Latin-speaking, pagan Roman empire centred at Rome during the Ancient years, from the Greek -speaking Christian Roman Empire during the Middle Ages , centred at its capital in Constantinople . Whilst there is disagreement on when the Byzantine empire actually started, the age of the Empire is conventionally determined by using the founding of Constantinople in 330AD, until the Fall Of Constantinople 1,123 years later. The Byzantine navy was essential to the success of the Byzantine Empire as one of the longest surviving empires in history. EARLY PERIOD The Byzantine navy, like the Byzantine Empire itself, was a continuation of the earlier Roman Empire model. In 323 AD the Emperor Constantine defeated a fleet of 350 Trireme s of the Eastern Emperor Licinius with a fleet of 200 Liburnian s, which were smaller and lighter than Roman triremes. In the early period its organizational structure and technology was similar to that of the Roman Navy . While the Vandal kingdom of Carthage lasted (428-534), the eastern emperors were compelled to attend to their fleet. However, the new threat came from the Arabs. Prompted by early Byzantine naval actions, the Arabs eventually built up a massive fleet and conquered many of the large Mediterranean islands. MACEDONIAN DYNASTY The Byzantine navy reached its highest point under the able sovereigns of the Macedonian Dynasty (867-1056). It was divided into the imperial fleet, commanded by the Great Drungarios, the first recorded lord high admiral, and the provincial or thematic squadrons, under their '''strategoi'''. Of these there were three, the '''Cibyrhaeotic''' (Cyprus and Rhodes), the '''Samian''' and the '''Aegean'''. The thematic squadrons were maintained permanently for police purposes. The imperial fleet, which was more powerful when in commission than all three, was kept for war. A peculiar feature of the Byzantine navy was the presence in it of a corps answering to the seaman gunners and gunnery officers of modern navies. These were the '''siphonarioi''', who worked the siphons (aujxaves) used for discharging the Greek Fire . LATE PERIOD By the end of the 11th century the principal naval enemies were the Normans from south Italy. However, the navy had deteriorated hopelessly and the emperors were driven to rely on the help of the Venetians, and later the Genoese. This was amplified after the end of the 13th century (previously being conquered by the Fourth Crusade and subsequently restored as a weakened empire). After the restoration the first emperors wrongly assumed that by relying on the naval strength of their Genoese allies they could completely do without the maintenance of a fleet with its particularly heavy expenditure. The efforts of rebuilding the navy under Andronicus III Palaeologus failed. SHIPS Literary sources and accounts reveal that there were at least three varieties of Dromon . These were, firstly the ousiakooo which took its name from one company or ''ousia'' of one hundred men. This was a two-banked galley with the lower rank rowing only, and the upper rank rowing or disengaging to fight when required. Secondly the slightly larger '''pamphylos''' with a crew of between 120-160. Thirdly the dromon proper, which had a crew of two hundred, fifty on the lower bank, and one hundred on the upper bank in two files, together with fifty marines. A description of some of the ships is given by Anna Comnena : ''The emperor knew that the Pisans were skilled in warfare at sea and was afraid to clash with them. Thus he ordered the construction on all the ships of bronze and iron heads of lions and other wild animals of all types, with open mouths and covered in gold leaf, so that their appearance alone was enough to spread fear. The liquid fire that was to attack the enemy would pass through the mouths of these heads, so that it would appear verily that they were vomiting forth flames...'' The variety of ships mentioned in the , Corsairs , Dromons (a generic term for warships), Galleys (including one set apart for the use of empresses), merchantmen of heavy tonnage, cargo vessels, horse-transports, skiffs, Dinghies , sermones (the exact nature of which eludes us, but they were probably fast, small craft), rowboats, scout-ships, tiny boats for use on river or lake, fire-ships with flame-throwing apparatus for Greek Fire and the vessel reserved for the `Second Count' and called by the sailors eveoussaton. The latter may refer to a ship immune from tax (the Latin excusatum) but there is no general agreement on that derivation. GREEK FIRE ''Main article: Greek Fire '' The term “Greek fire” was not attributed to the concoction until the time of the European Crusades. Some of the original names it was known by include “liquid fire”, “marine fire”, “artificial fire” and “Roman fire”. The latter was most probably due to the fact that the Muslims (against whom the weapon was most commonly used) believed the Byzantines to be Roman rather than Greek. Of course, politically speaking, the Byzantine Empire was a direct continuation of the East Roman Empire and called themselves Rhomaioi, or "Romans". Greek fire is believed to have been created in the seventh century (673 AD) by a Syrian engineer named Kallinikos (or Callinicus). The weapon was first used by the Byzantine Navy, and the most common method of deployment was to emit the formula through a large bronze tube onto enemy ships. Usually the mixture would be stored in heated, pressurized barrels and projected through the tube by some sort of pump while the operators were sheltered behind large iron shields. The closest modern weapon to it was probably the flamethrower. The means of its production in the harbour of Galata was kept a state secret, and its components are only roughly guessed or described through secondary sources as Anna Comnena :
To its effect, the Greek fire must have been rather similar to napalm. Burning fiercely, it could even stay ablaze underwater for a short period. NOTABLE EVENTS
REFERENCE "History of the Byzantine State" by G. Ostrogorski SEE ALSO |
|
|